November 23, 2024

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Busan KCC’s Heo Ung (left) is awarded the Pocari Sweat Popularity Award during the 2023-2024 JungKwanJang KBL Awards at a hotel in Seoul on Monday. (Dong-A Otsuka)

At the 2023-2024 JungKwanJang Korean Basketball League Awards, Busan KCC's Heo Ung won the Pocari Sweat Popularity Award for the fifth consecutive time, Dong-A Otsuka said Tuesday.

The league awards ceremony took place Monday at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul.

Introduced in the 2011-2012 season, the popularity award is decided entirely by fan votes to determine the season's most popular player.

All Korean Basketball League players are eligible, with fans allowed one vote per day for two players. This year's voting occurred over two weeks, from March 18 to March 31, via the KBL's website and application.

Heo Ung has now won the popularity award for the fifth consecutive season, starting in the 2019-2020 season.

Dong-A Otsuka's Vice President Cho Ik-sung presented the award to Heo, congratulating him on his achievement.

Upon his winning, Heo Ung expressed his gratitude, saying, “I'm deeply grateful for this fifth consecutive Popularity Award. My fans' enthusiasm, especially during away games, has been incredibly motivating. As the playoffs approach, I'm committed to delivering great performances in return for their support."

Meanwhile, Dong-A Otsuka's Pocari Sweat, the official beverage of the KBL, also supports the Korea Baseball Organization, the Women's Korean Basketball League and the Korea Volleyball Federation, reflecting its engagement with professional sports across Korea.

By Park Se-ra (serap1005@heraldcorp.com)
The Korea Herald